Toy dump truck



March 6, 1956 T. B. HOWARD TOY DUMP TRUCK 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 24 1955 INVENTOR.

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March 6, 1956 T. B. HOWARD TOY DUMP TRUCK 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 24 1953 INVENTOR.

TULA/VE B. HON/0,80,

United States Patent-O TOY DUMP TRUCK Tulane B. Howard, Washington, D. C.

Application April 24, 1953, Serial No. 350,9h8

4 Claims. (Cl. 46-210) This invention relates to toy dump trucks and more particularly to a toy dump truck having a pivotally mounted body which is spring urged to load carrying position, and pull string for moving the body to dumping position.

it is among the objects of the invention to provide an improved toy dump truck of simplified construction having a wheel supported frame and a body pivotally mounted on the frame for movements between a load carrying and a dumping position and spring urged to its load carrying position; which has a towing string or handle and a pull string extending along the towing string for moving the truck body from its load carrying to its dumping position; and which is strong and durable in construction, economical to manufacture, safe for small children to use, and neat and attractive in appearance.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent from a consideration of the following description and the appended claims in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein:

Figure l is a side elevational view of a toy dump truck illustrative of the invention;

Figure 2 is a side elevational view on an enlarged scale looking at the side of the truck opposite that shown in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a bottom plan view of the truck;

Figure 4 is a transverse cross sectional view on the line 44 of Figure 2; and

Figure 5 is a longitudinal cross sectional view on the line 55 of Figure 4.

With continued reference to the drawings, the toy truck comprises a frame, generally indicated at 10, formed of suitable sheet metal and including a pair of spaced apart and substantially parallel side members 11 and 12 arranged with their major transverse dimensions substantially vertically disposed and parallel to each other and having external lateral flanges 13 and 14 respectively, along their bottom edges. The same piece of sheet metal from which the frame side members 11 and 12 are provided is also preferably formed to provide a simulated cab structure 15 at the front ends of the frame side members, a simulated engine hood 16 extending forwardly from the cab structure and simulated front and rear fender structures 17 and 18 at the front and rear ends of the device and at the respectively opposite sides thereof.

A front axle 19 is secured at its ends in the front fender simulating formations 17 and extends transversely of the structure rearwardly of and adjacent the front end thereof. Front wheels 21 and 22 are journaled on the front axle 19, one Within each of the front fender simulating formations 17, and support the front end of the frame 10.

A rear axle 24 extends between and is secured at its ends in the rear fender simulating formations 18 and extends transversely of the frame near the rear end of the frame. Rear wheels 25 and 26 are journaled on the rear axle 24 and disposed one in each of the rear fender simulating formations 18 and support the rear end of the frame.

The front and rear wheels thus support the frame 10 in substantially horizontal position when the wheels are resting upon a substantially horizontal supporting surface, such as a floor, a pavement or the ground. A front bumper simulating member 27 extends'transversely across the front end of the frame and carries at its mid-length location a clevis 28, and a towing handle 29 is secured at one end to this clevis and extends forwardly of the toy truck, so that a child can pull the truck along a floor or pavement or over the ground.

A truck body, generally indicated at 30, is disposed above the truck frame rearwardly of the cab structure 15 and has an upwardly and rearwardly inclined rear end and an open top. A tailgate 31 is disposed in closing relationship to the open rear end of the body 30 and is hinged along its bottom edge to the rear edge of the body floor, as indicated at 32. This tailgate is rearwardly and upwardly inclined when in body closing position, as illustrated in Figures 1 and 2, and is rearwardly and somewhat downwardly inclined when in body opening position, as illustrated in Figure 5. A tension spring 33 is connected to the tailgate 31 near the upper edge and at one end of the tailgate and is connected at its other end to one side of the body 30 by a hook engaged into a selected one of a series of spaced apart apertures 35 extending longitudinally of the corresponding truck body side wall near the upper edge of the side wall, so that the force with which the spring urges the tailgate to closing position can be adjusted.

An inverted U-shaped bracket, generally indicated at 38, extends transversely of the frame 10 intermediate the length of the portion of the frame rearwardly of the cab structure 15 and above the frame. This bracket has spaced apart and substantially parallel depending legs 40 and 41 whose free lower ends are disposed at the inner sides of the frame side members 11 and 12 respectively, and are pivotally connected to the frame side members by suitable means, such as the screws 42 and 43 extending through registering apertures in the frame side members and the corresponding bracket legs. The screws 42 and 43 support the bracket 38 for pivotal movements about an axis extending transversely of the frame, and the straight intermediate or bight portion 44 of the bracket is disposed above and transversely of the corresponding portion of the frame. The body 30 is secured intermediate its length on the bight portion 44 of the bracket 38 for pivotal movement about the axis of the screws 42 and 43 between its load carrying position, as illustrated in Figure 2, and its dumping position, as illustrated in Figure 5.

A second inverted U-shaped bracket, generally indicated at 45, is disposed transversely of and extends above the frame immediately at the rear of the cab simulating structure 15 and has spaced apart and substantially parallel depending legs 46 and 47, having free lower ends disposed within side members 11 and 12 of the frame and rigidly secured to these side members. This bracket extends upwardly from the frame and has a straight intermediate or bight portion 43 on which the front portion of the body 30 rests when the body is in its load carrying position, as illustrated in Figure 2. The leg 47 of the bracket 45 is provided with a diagonally disposed series of spaced apart apertures 50, and a tension spring 51 is secured at one end to the under side of the body 30 at a point between the brackets 38 and 45 and has on its other end a hook formation engaged in a selected one of the apertures 58 to resiliently urge the body to its load carrying position, as illustrated in Figure 2, in which the body is disposed above and substantially parallel to the corresponding portion of the frame 10.

A plate 52 extends transversely of the frame 10 immediately to the rear of the pivotally mounted bracket 38 and is secured at its opposite ends to the bottom .position by the spring 33.

flanges 13 and 14 of the frame side members ll and 12. A tongue 53 extends rearwardly from the mid-length location of the rear edge of the plate 52 beyond the rear axle 24 and somewhat beyond the rear end of the frame It A guide sheave 54 is journaled on the rear end of the tongue 53 for rotation about an axis which is substantially parallel to the rear end of the floor of the body 30. A pull cord 55 is connected at one end to the tailgate 31 adjacent the mid-length location of the upper edge of the tailgate and extends downwardly and somewhat forwardly from its connection to the tailgate and under the sheave 54 and extends forwardly from the sheave 54.

A reclining U-shaped bracket 58 is connected at its closed end to the rear side of the bumper structure 27 medially of the length of the bumper structure and constitutes a fork in which a guide sheave 59 is journaled for rotation about an axis substantially parallel to the rotational axis of the guide sheave 54. The pull cord 55 is led under the guide sheave 59 and thence upwardly past the bumper structure 27 and along the tow handle '29 of the truck to the distal end of the tow handle.

Guide eyes 60 are secured to the tow handle 29 of the truck at spaced apart locations therealong and slidably receive the pull cord 55 and the tow handle 29 and the pull cord are provided at their distal ends with loop formations 61 and 62, respectively.

When the pull cord 55 is left slack, the toy truck can be pulled by the tow handle 29, and the body 30 will be held in its load carrying position by the spring 51, the top'of the bracket 45 constituting a stop for movements of the body toward its load carrying position by the spring 51, and the tailgate 31 is held in body closing If now, the pull cord 55 is pulled with sufficient force to overcome the force of the springs 51 and 33, the body 30 will first be tilted to its dumping position against the force of spring 51 and the tailgate 31 will be moved to its body opening position against the force of spring 33, so that material, such as sand, contained in the body will be dumped from the body over the tailgate. When the pull on the cord 55 is released, the spring 51 will return the body to its load carrying position, and the spring 33 will return the tailgate 31 to its body closing position.

The invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. The present embodiment is, therefore, to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description, and all changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are, therefore,

intended to be embraced therein.

What is claimed is: 1. A toy dump truck comprising a wheel supported frame of rectangular shape, a body disposed above said frame, means pivotally mounting said body on said frame for movements between a substantially horizontal load carrying position and a downwardly and rearwardly inclined dumping position, first spring means connected between said frame and said body resiliently urging said body to said load carrying position, stop means carried by said frame and engaging said body to stop the spring induced movements of said body when said body has been moved to said load carrying position relative to 2. A toy dump truck comprising a wheel supported frame of rectangular shape, a body disposed above said frame, means pivotally mounting said body on said frame for movements between a substantially horizontal load carrying position and a downwardly and rearwardly inclined dumping position, first spring means connected between said frame and said body resiliently urging said body to said load carrying position, stop means carried by said frame and engaging said body to stop the spring induced movements of said body when said body has been moved to said load carrying position relative to said frame, a tailgate pivotally connected to the rear end of said body, second spring means connected between said tailgate and said body resiliently urging said tailgate to body closing position, a pull cord connected at one end to said tailgate and extending downwardly and forwardly from said tailgate and then forwardly along said frame and beyond the front end of the frame for use in moving said tailgate to body opening position and said body to dumping position against the force of said first and second spring means, and sheaves journaled on said frame one at each end of said frame with said pull cord extending under said sheaves to guide the pull cord longitudinally of said frame.

3. A toy dump truck comprising a wheel supported frame of rectangular shape, a body disposed above said frame, means pivotally mounting said body on said frame for movements between a substantially horizontal load carrying position and a downwardly and rearwardly inclined dumping position, first spring means connected between said frame and said body resiliently urging said body to said load carrying position, stop means carried by said frame and engaging said body to stop the spring induced movements of said body when said body has been moved to said load carrying position relative to said frame, a tailgate pivotally connected to the rear end of said body, second spring means connected between said tailgate and said body resiliently urging said tailgate to body closing position, a pull cord connected at one end of said tailgate and extending downwardly and forwardly from said tailgate and then forwardly along said frame and beyond the front end of the frame for use in moving said tailgate to body opening position and said body to dumping position against the force of said first and second spring means, a handle secured at one end to the front end of said frame and extending forwardly from said frame, said pull cord extending along said handle, and guide eyes mounted on said handle at locations spaced apart therealong and slidably receiving said pull cord to guide said pull cord along said handle.

4. In a toy dump truck, a wheel supported frame having a rear end and a front end, a normally horizontal truck body having an open rear end and a front end, mounting bracket means fixed to and depending from said body at a point intermediate the ends of the body,

means pivoting said bracket means on said frame at a point intermediate the ends of said frame, stop bracket means fixed to said frame at a point near the front end of said body and rising from said frame upon which the front end of the body normally rests, a first spring acting between said stop bracket means and a front part of the body and yieldably urging the body to normal position in engagement with said stop bracket means, a tail gate pivoted on the rear end of the body, a second spring acting between said tail gate and a rearward part of the body and yieldably holding the tail gate in bodyclosing position, and a pull cord extending along said frame and movably supported thereon, said pull cord having a forward end reaching forwardly beyond the front end of the frame and a rear end secured to said tail gate for pulling the tail gate to open position and said body to a rearwardly tilted dumping position against the resistance of said first and second spring means.

(References on following page) 6 References Cited inthe file of this patent 1,797,471 Jones Mar. 24, 1931 1,929,516 Redmond Oct. 10, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,949,088 Strohacker Feb. 27, 1934 1,364,586 Sale Jan. 4, 1921 2,201,148 Berger May 21, 1940 1,566,031 Marks 1925 5 2,512,166 Merrill June 20, 1950 1,595,510 Fischer Aug. 10, 1926 

